Light Eyes and Dark Intentions
by ScarfySorty
Summary: AU fic about Hermione's 7th year in Hogwarts... but the Order seems to have certain deep dark secrets, and when Hermione has no one to turn to, there is only one person life... Draco?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is an AU fic about Hermione's 7th year in Hogwarts – Dumbldore didn't die, Harry, Ron and Hermione are still in Hogwarts.

**Chapter 1**

Hermione was bored out of her mind. After the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron and Harry were determined to leave Hogwarts and go Horcrux-hunting, but with Molly and Hermione's combined disagreements and Dumbledore not taking a stand, Ron and Harry were forced to stay for their 7th year.

Naturally, as the year started, the duo was more than a little angry with her, but she held her stand. If they wanted to give her the silent treatment, she could do that, and better.

An upside was that, as one of the Head Prefects (naturally) she got her own private room in the Head's Common Room. But the situation looked a lot grimmer, considering that Malfoy was the other Head.

After managing to get into four verbal spurs within an argument, Hermione was desperate to try and at least fake getting along – the heads _had_ to give a good impression. Malfoy reluctantly agreed, and so Hermione cast the spell. From the day on, they had to be civil to one another, and call each other by their first name, but she spell could be broken by either of them upon will.

Hermione was especially proud of thinking of the spell, a good start to the second day of school.

After finishing her homework within a few hours, she had headed over to the Gryffindor common room to hang out with her friends… and maybe try and patch up the situation with Ron and Harry. They would fail their lessons without her, she sighed mentally, but with a hint of nostalgia too.

She really was close to Ron and Harry.

As she climbed into the portrait, she immediately spotted Ron and Harry, doing their homework by the coveted seats in front of the fire, probably offered to them due to seniority and popularity. Ginny sat directly opposite Harry, constantly looking up to glance at him, and Ron looked ill at ease without a partner himself.

Because his partner was no longer in the Gryffindor common room, and instead in the Head's common room, and he had resolved to ignore her, just to get a little bit of revenge.

Hermione smiled at how easy Ron was easy to read as she sneaked up behind me and quietly settled down next to him. But Ron had shrugged her off at once. Hermione stood up, confused. Harry didn't respond, and Ginny threw her a shrug. Neville avoided her gaze and no one else seemed to care.

What was going on? Were they _still_ angry?

If there one thing Hermione knew from years of trying to read people, it was that the common saying was right – it was all the eyes. Looking at Ron's, she saw what looked like… an accusation?

Bewildered but not willing to push it, Hermione climbed out of the common room and into her own.

And now, here she was, confused (that's a pretty new one) and bored. Draco (gah, she couldn't call him Malfoy and she was beginning to resent it) walked by once, sneered at her as politely as he could manage and made a (polite) snide joke about how she clearly had no friends.

And at that moment, Hermione couldn't help but agree. Finally, after going through about a hundred different convoluted reasons as to Ron's reaction to her, she gave it up and decided he was just being immature.

As she had almost convinced herself of that, there was a knock on her door. It was Neville. Draco (not Malfoy) rolled his eyes and willingly backed from the common room into his own room, and Hermione let Neville in.

Neville looked more uneasy than usual, and Hermione remembered the look he had given her in the common room. Cutting straight to the obvious issues, Hermione narrowed her eyes and asked directly, "Neville, do you know something about Ron and Harry?"

Neville's eyes displayed a moment of shock, before steadying himself and mumbling, "Don't know how to tell you this, Hermione, but… there's a rumour that…. Because you didn't allow Ron and Harry to go help the order…" Neville stopped there, losing his nerve.

Hermione edged him on, more interested than ever, "Go on, Neville."

"Because you didn't allow them to go help the Order," Neville blurted out, "there's a rumour that you're against the Order. Plus the fact that you're now in a common room with Malfoy, they think that he's making you a death eater. But I don't believe the rumour, that's why I came to tell you."

Hermione was, for once, struck. She could not even _begin_ to point out all the wrong premises in the argument, which lead to this ultimately flawed conclusion. There was literally, almost no truth behind it, for goodness sakes! How could people believe it! More importantly, did Ron and Harry believe it.

Neville quickly mumbled, "I've gotta go." And with that he ran out of the room while the implications ran through Hermione's mind.

_Idiots_! Idiots who spread stupid rumours about her!

At the wrong moment, Draco stepped out of his room, and from the look on his face, it was obvious he had been eavesdropping.

"So unbelievably stupid. Not just the fact that I'd never try to recruit a mudblood, especially not you, but that there is about one ounce of truth in the whole thing, and the stupid Gryffindors still believe it. Figures, I guess."

Hermione noticed that he hadn't denied the part about him being a death eater, but she simply stored that fact away. A larger majority of her mind was further stunned with the fact that Draco had the same train of thought as her… maybe there weren't as different as she thought. After all, he was admittedly probably the smartest student of their year, after her of course.

Hermione immediately decided that if Ron and Harry were going to be that stupid and immature, and not trust her, then Draco might make a good friend. They were the Heads after all, and this might get rid of the ridiculous inter-house hatred.

Draco, on the other hand, clearly wasn't thinking of such optimistic things. He muttered something that sounded like, "does she know… protectors… tell father…"

Hermione looked up, but Draco blinked a few times, realized he had been speaking out loud and smiled wrly.

"So you're still on the Order's side then?" Draco smiled, or was it smirked?

Hermione nodded. Draco leant in just a little and asked, "Then why, may I ask you, does your dear Dumbledore never do anything to protect his beloved muggles? Oh, is Dumbledore discriminating muggles, now, favouring the wizards…. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Yes, just like a certain Dark Lord…"

With that convoluted sentence, Draco retreated into his own room.

After a sudden flare of anger, Hermione looked past her emotions and to what Draco had said. Like she had said, if there was one thing she knew, it was all in the eyes.

And in Draco's, she had seen nothing but shadows.

**A/N:** Visit .com/pages/SSFanfic-You-choose-I-write/101007143333284 to be part of this story and decide how it might turn out!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

Hermione woke up the next day, more than a little wary. She sighed at the prospect for spending another day of classes with the Gryffindors, who seemed to have somehow believed the illogical rumours about her.

Fine, she could play this game too, at least, until they wised up to the truth.

After a while though, she had calmed down and thought it through properly – there was no way Harry and Ron could continue ignoring her. They would _fail_ without her help in class.

Content with that fact, she headed off to class, making a conscious effort to avoid Draco – it wasn't like she wanted to _spread_ those rumours.

Sure enough, by 3rd period, which was coincidentally Potions, they had yielded. Or more like, Hermione couldn't bear to see any more points taken from Gryffindor for their ineptness.

Upon seeing Snape turn away, Hermione had yanked the knife from Ron and started cutting the ingredients properly. When Ron rebuffed her, she turned around with a furious look on her face, "Look, I know what you're doing, I know what rumours are being spread about me, and if you're going to be that immature, I don't care. But I will _not _let Gryffindor lose the House Cup due to your inability to turn a rat into a bird or brew a proper Polyjuice Potion."

Hermione knew that would strike a chord with Harry and Ron. In truth, she still cared for them, and couldn't really care less for the Cup. Nevertheless, Ron and Harry muttered a half-hearted 'sorry' as Snape turned around again. "10 points from Gryffindor, for the insufferable know-it-all's attempt to help what she should know, are two lost cases."

Hermione reddened a bit at the fact that she _did_ know that but it was lost by Ron and Harry, who were back to muttering curses about Snape.

It seems like all was well again… but somewhere in a corner of her mind, Hermione wondered if she could still talk to Mal-no, Draco. After all, death eater-to-be or not, she still needed someone of her intellect to converse with once in a while.

So, things were settled, the rumours had died down after the Chosen One made a firm order that it should and would. Biased or not, it was good to be on Harry's side.

But the boys were back to doing everything together again…. Hermione had always known that they were much closer to each other than her. She? She was the one that they just needed to form the magical Trio. Truth is, without her, they would have all failed their exams and gotten kicked out of Hogwarts. Not only that, they would probably have died every single year if she wasn't there to help them. And yet, she was still the unappreciated one.

It was more than obvious, especially after they refused to listen to her in their 3rd year and it had taken _Hagrid_ to get them to realize what jerks they were being.

But Hermione knew better than to complain – her hidden ounces of resentment, which had long built up within her, she kept safely. She should be honoured just to be a good friend of _the_ Harry Potter, able to help him in his quest to defeat the Dark lord.

Myabe, just maybe, she should have let them suffer more without her, to make them realise her importance. But she dismissed the idea almost immediately. She still loved Harry and Ron – one platonically, one maybe a little bit more.

Once again, bored out of her mind, she contemplated her relationship with Ron… maybe they should take it one step further? They were both legal, for goodness sake, maybe not in the Muggle world, but definitely in the Wizard one. And besides, with all the extra times she had spent on the Time Turner in her 3rd year, Hermione knew that she was now 18, older and more mature than the rest of her peers, which might explain why their immaturity annoyed her so.

Either way, the most they had taken it was snogging, which Ginny had done with about half the school already.

Maybe if she took it one step further (she was already planning on pretty much staying with Ron forever), he would learn to appreciate her more, giving him something that he would never forget…

"Oh, just come on, Ron…" Hermione urged him, as he stood warily outside her room. Hermione had told Draco to politely 'shove off' this evening, and Draco had made a grimace, saying that he wanted no details of whatever sings she was going to commit that night. When Hermione pointed out that half the 7th years were already past that stage, including him probably, Draco just grinned.

But Ron just reluctantly stopped at the edge of the door, as if expecting a hex the moment he stepped in. Hermione dragged him in and started kissing him. Ron willingly kissed back – that much he could handle.

Hermione, grasping the chance when Ron was still into it, carefully led them to her bed, and-

Ron broke off immediately. "No, Hermione."

_Always. He always did that. _"Why, Ron?"

"I… I don't want to commit myself to this." Ron stared at his feet, refusing to meet her gaze.

"For Merlin's sake Ron, it isn't a marriage, it's just lying on the bed. Ginny's done that with about half of the guys in this school already!" Hermione just couldn't understand why Ron was so… unwilling.

"You're…. too good for me." For a moment, Hermione thought Ron was complimenting her, a first, definitely. "No, really. You're too good. You keep overshadowing me, I don't need someone like that. I want someone who complements me, or make me look better. Someone like… what Ginny is to Harry or something! Why? Why do you keep making me look worse!"

"Ron!" Hermione blinked rapidly. "You're saying that you don't like me for who I am? You want me to change? You know who I am, who I've been since 1st year. I want to grow up, get a job and marry you, Ron. That was long settled. I love you, and you love me."

"I know that, but… I can't love someone who isn't willing to sacrifice something for me." Ron bucked up his courage to look at Hermione.

"And what are _you_ sacrificing for me?"

"Trust me, my reputation, just by being with you."

Hermione bit back tears. "What are you trying to say, Ron?"

"Do you know what _people_ are saying? They're saying that you'll be the one who earns money for the poor family of Weasleys, and I'll be the one staying at home with the 7 kids. I can't do that, Hermione. I can't have my life reduced to just that. I've decided, Hermione. Either you get a job, or you stay with me. I can't have you doing both. I can't."

"Fine, Ron. If you can't take me for who I am, this relationship is over." Hermione wondered why she seemed almost like she had been expecting this. Maybe her subconscious knew that it wasn't possible between them.

As Ron turned to leave, Hermione, in an uncharacteristic fit of spite, played her trump card. "You know what, Ron? The Sorting Hat considered putting me in Slytherin. I said Gryffindor because I knew Harry and you were going to be there. Maybe I chose wrong after all."

Leaving Ron stunned just outside the door, Hermione swung it shut in his shocked face.

**A/N: **This chapter was to fulfill the send highest number of votes for a bit of Romione… or more like the end of it. Also, for the votes that Hermione should forgive Ron, then break up with him later. Go to .com/pages/SSFanfic-You-choose-I-write/101007143333284 to vote and help decide the direction of this fanfic! ~Scarfy


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: GAHH I KNOW THAT THERE ISN'T MUCH OF A PLOT YET. Not for this chapter either. I'm kinda stuck on the relationship stuff for a while. But there's a plot, I promise you, and I'll be getting to tit from the next chapter onwards. Once again, thanks for reading, leave a review please! ~Scarfy**

Hermione didn't cry. She didn't know why, but it was as if her mind was saying, _Meh, you don't need to waste tears on him._

Draco eventually entered again. Leaning against the doorframe, conscientiously keeping a distance form her, he casually said, "So, the inevitable has happened, huh?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "And how would _you_ know?"

Draco shrugged, "I would say from your face, but your face isn't telling me anything. The Weasley girl running around the Great Hal calling you a giant slut, though, told me a lot."

Hermione was surprised at Draco's answer. Not that Ginny was spreading rumours about her – she had pretty much expected that. "You believe me, not her?" She was curious about that.

"Well, other than the fact that the redhead girl is the biggest slut of them all, you don't seem like the type. And I think I'm pretty good at reading people." Draco flashed her an arrogant smile, as if challenging her.

Hermione gladly accepted it. "Fine then, if you think you're so good… why did you say that Ron and my breakup was inevitable?"

Draco shook his head with a smirk on his face. "Easy. The Weasley boy is pathetic, way below your standards, frankly. He can't think for himself, he is constantly affected by how all of his brothers and even his sister have a better reputation than him. But instead of doing anything worthy of it, like playing pranks like the twins (which still has some merit), he chooses to ride on the tailcoats of the chosen one. He ends up having to turn to you for help consistently, academic or otherwise. He likes you, but not enough to express it properly. He expects everything from you, doesn't understand you, but doesn't feel a need to do anything in return. In other words, he's leeching off you, and the only thing that's stopping you from noticing it was some extended form of crush. I'm surprised it even lasted that long. Now that your pathetic relationship has come to it's, again, inevitable end, how can you expect me to pretend to be shocked?"

Hermione definitely was not expecting that. "You sound like you know a lot more about me than a Slytherin boy should know about the relationship of a pair of Gryffindors.

"Don't be ridiculous," Draco drawled. It's not about the house. You're interesting, and your intellect rivals mine. It's natural."

"Rivals? I'd say, 'owns'," Hermione grinned.

"Fine," Draco conceded, "But if I actually put in the effort to work hard, I'd come lose, I'm warning you."

"Bring it," Hermione joked.

"Nah, why bother?" Draco grinned in reply. "I'd never beat you anyway, you 'insufferable know-it-all." The mention of Snape's name for her suddenly drew her attention back to the fact that Draco wasn't a friend (or was he?). He was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor.

But then again, why did that mean that he couldn't be a friend? _That which we call a rose, any any other word would smell as sweet… _Hermione had spent her free time during summer learning the Muggle curriculum, and besides, she'd read Romeo and Juliet when she was 10. The point was, did the label of 'Gryffindor' and 'Slytherin' mean all that much? She knew that Draco wasn't that bad a person, having spent more than a week sharing a common room with him.

Besides, what was at risk for her if she wanted a friendship with Draco? Her now non-existent friendships with Ron and Harry? (No doubt, they would be back to ignoring her and failing their classes.)

Only after happily chatting to Draco for 30 minutes, did she wonder: How had Draco known that this… talking to someone of her level, would make her happier?

It had been a mixed 10 days of happiness and loneliness since 'The Break-Up'. Most of the Gryffindors, and their closer house, Hufflepuffs, had resented her, believing the biased rumours. On the other hand, the logical Ravenclaws worked by logic and respect her more. The Slytherins, of course, were delighted. Pansy gave her a friendly wave one day in between classes, and Ginny, who was nearby, had tripped over nothing and fell from pure shock.

McGonagall seemed not to approve, though trying to be unbiased. During potions, though, Snape took an enjoyable 10 minutes insulting Ron and Harry's pathetic (here, Hermione had to agree with his choice of words) attempts at a Healing Potion, stating that the Wizarding War had no hope if the Chosen one and his best friend couldn't brew something as simple as a Healing Potion (again, Hermione was bent to agree). Later, he praised Hermione's potion, for once, not just because he had to admit that it was a perfect first try, but this time with a pinch of respect as well.

Stunned into shock when Snape rewarded Gryffindor 10 points (though taking 20 points off thanks to Ron and Harry), Hermione had resorted to asking Draco at night.

"It's obvious," Draco had replied immediately. "The Slytherins all thought you were a wuss for staying with a bunch of losers and incapable jerks like Ron and Harry. Now, you've finally stood up for yourself, and what for what you actually deserve. It's admirable, at least, coming from you." Hermione couldn't tell if the 'you' in the last sentence referred to her status as a Gryffindor, a muggleborn, or simply her history with Harry and Ron.

Though with almost no one to hang out with now, the Ravenclaws happily took her in, most admitting that they had always thought she truly belonged here, and even some of the Slytherins showed reluctant respect.

Still, in the Great Hall and Study Blocks, she had to sit with the Gryffindors, and the air of tension was always there. It seemed like there was a constant impenetrable bubble around her that was impossible for any Gryffindor to enter. Even in the younger years avoided her with a look of almost fear. Hermione wondered what the rumours had developed to now.

Heading reluctantly to dinner (where she again had to sit with the Gryffindors), that was when Ron approached Hermione. Sneaking out from behind a pillar where he was waiting, he slunk out almost guiltily and looked down as he said, "Hi, Hermione."


End file.
